Things in the Holy Land are so great. We just had our first all-day field trip that took us to a lot of overlooks of the city like the Seven Arches Hotel Overlook, the Augusta Victoria Tower (Greek Orthodox Church of the Ascension), Nabi Samwil (the traditional birthplace and supposed burial place of the Prophet Samuel), Tayelet (the spot that Abraham possibly first had a good look of Mount Moriah on his way to sacrifice his son Isaac), and a Bethlehem overlook (about 6 miles south of Jerusalem, how appropriate that we were there in April!). To catch up on some of the big events of the week, I have copied paragraphs from emails sent home to family and friends already, so I apologize if this is a little choppy. On the Sabbath (celebrated on Saturday here in the Holy Land), we had church. Our auditorium has a massive window that shows a view of the city. It is incredible. I sang in choir practice before church and we performed today. (Dad, there's a huge ward choir made of all BYU students.) Two permanent ward members spoke and were very inspiring. One man is working for the military training Palastinian soldiers and the other was a BYU grad who is getting her master's at the Hebrew University in Ancient and Near Eastern Studies. After sacrament, I taught the valient girls! It was SO FUN. They are little angels and I love being in primary. I was only volunteering today so I hope that it becomes my calling. Two of the girls are faculty member's daughters and the third is a girl living around here with her family. They were so sweet and they hope that I teach them next week. After church, we took a trip to the Garden of Gethsemane. One of my friends asked about the spirit of the Garden of Gethsemane compared to somewhere else that's important to us like, say, Nauvoo. Here is my response: That's actually a great question about the spirit of Gethsemane vs Nauvoo. It's strange here. The spirit isn't just in the air like it is in Nauvoo. Things here are very dirty and busy and loud and smelly. I had to really mentally and spiritually prepare myself when I heard we were going to Gethsemane for the first time because I wanted it to be a special experience and I knew that anywhere outside of the Center is not peaceful. I was prepared for a spiritual experience and I prayed and read my scriptures while I was there and a huge feeling of gratitude came from within me. I had a very powerful experience because of that preparation. Because of my thoughts and prayers and because I held that ground holy I could feel love for the Savior and especially gratitude. In Nauvoo it's dedicated ground and it's like the spirit is coming at you from all sides. Here, there are so many people who hold certain spots sacred and some do not. It's a very interesting dynamic. I've been thinking about this a lot lately. It's an interesting experience visiting sites here. Some people are going about their normal, every day life and aren't particularly religious. Some are here in heart-felt worship and hold these grounds very sacred. Other people are here as tourists and are glued to their cameras and treat this place a little like a zoo or something. I guess the conclusion is that I can feel the spirit but it's very different from Nauvoo or Temple Square. Don't get me wrong, visiting the Garden of Gethsemane was a very spiritual experience for me. It's very close to the center. I was surprised at how small it was. It's surrounded by a cathedral and walls. There's a small, well-kept garden area that's surrounded by a fence (you can't enter the garden area, only walk around it). There are several olive trees in the garden but 8 are said to be whitnesses of the atonement because they're old enough to have been there when Christ was. I sat on a bench and read the accounts of the atonement in Matt, Mark, Luke, and John and read the Bible Dictionary on the Atonement. I was so overwhelmed with gratitude when I was there. What a special place. I have seen the place that my Savior suffered for our sins. I am so grateful for what took place there. I am so thankful that all of us can be forgiven and can enter the presence of God forever because of what happened in that Garden. This place is where it happened, what everything rests on. It is the center of my universe. I thought of each of you (my family) while I was there. We went into the cathedral next to the garden where there's the very rock that Christ supposedly bled on. It was so beautiful and it was silent. There were signs up asking for total silence. One of the guys in our group asked a priest if we could sing and he said yes. A tour group had just left and it was pretty empty. About 25 BYU students gathered around the huge stone and we sang "I Stand All Amazed". What a cool way to reflect on the Atonement on my Sabbath day. Another day this week we went to the Western Wall (sometimes incorrectly called the Wailing Wall) which was SO COOL. It was a very reverent spot. Apparently that's where you go to pray to God and connect with your heritage. This was particularly meaningful for me because of my Jewish ancestry (even though my ancestry is European). One of the coolest things out here is to see the dedicated people worshiping. It is inspiring to see them so worshipful and to see them hold certain things so sacred. It is improving my dedication and my personal worship. I need to get going now but things are going well! I'm so happy and still can't believe that I'm here! I would love to hear from you and to hear your responses! Love love love Emily

Hurrah From Israel

Oh my goodness I am in the Holy Land. Where do I even begin? I LOVE IT HERE. Flights all went well! The flight that left JFK was enormous. It was like the plane that I went to Frankfurt, Germany on. I think it was a double decker and it had four seats in the middle row and three seats on either side. It was huge. I forced myself to stay awake on the flight to New York and it made it much easier to sleep on the way to Tel Aviv. I had a very pleasant trip! We were told to not indicate that we are here studying because that gives us issues with getting student visas, etc. Because we are enrolled in an American University apparently it's fine that we don't have student visas but it makes things a little sticky at customs. We were warned that it won't be an issue, just tell them you belong to BYU in America and we're here on a program with that University. Don't say you're studying because apparently the people working there don't have all of the information on the agreement that BYU has with the Israeli Government. So, needless to say, I was nervous out of my mind as I approached the stern-looking man behind the glass. I was repeating in my head over and over the things they told us to say. And, of course, I happened to pick the line with the man who asked the MOST questions about what I'm doing here. Oh I thought my heart was going to jump right out of my chest! I was so nervous and he just kept asking WHY I'm here and WHY I need to be here touring for 4 months and what EXACTLY am I doing? Gah! He slammed his stamps on my passport and tossed it at me. Sheesh. I made it in! I just kept thinking, "please let me into your country!!!" Apparently nobody else had the same experience. I think I loosened him up for the people in line after me. We then got our luggage and got on a shuttle to Jerusalem. The terrain is very hill-y. It almost reminds me of the hills in California but perhaps taller and certainly more dry. There are trees everywhere though (at least on the drive to Jerusalem). We came around one final turn and there to our right was the Dome of the Rock. There it was! So beautiful! I will send a picture as soon as I can. The Jerusalem Center itself is probably the most beautiful thing ever. The Church does such a fabulous job with everything it does. Oh I have decided that I'm going to build a house someday out of limestone with open hallways and lots of roses. I am stunned by the beauty of this building. As we were un-packing we heard the call to prayer! We all paused and stood on our balcony's and just looked out at the city. It is so beautiful. I joined my Muslim brothers and sisters right there and offered a prayer of gratitude. We can see the Dome from our room and the wall of the city (the ground around which, by the way, is covered in densely packed graves because they are first in line for the Resurrection). We had a very wonderful dinner here and ate outside. We met our teachers and their cute families. We got our syllabi for our classes and oh my goodness I am so worried about these classes. They are going to be so intense. I'm up for it though! It seems like I have a million more things to tell you but the fireworks for Independence Day are about to start and we're all standing out on the back patio. I will write again soon! I love you and I'm so happy and feel very safe. All my love Emily

Starting the Blog Up Again

I have always wanted to go on a study abroad and I have had a lot of friends who have gone to Jerusalem and highly recommended it, particularly Grace. So, I applied! I wasn't planning on getting in (apparently lots of people apply and not everyone gets to go) and was starting to get excited about "plan B". I was shocked to find a letter waiting for me at my apartment after Christmas break! I got accepted to the Spring/Summer 2012 Jerusalem Study Abroad!

I will be off of facebook the whole summer and will periodically update this blog. I just got an email from the Jerusalem people (the mysterious "people" who take care of everything) about my flight information. I have a layover at JFK on the way over there and in Atlanta on the way back. If you're going to be in either of those places on April 24th or August 9th, let me know. I would love to think of you as I'm rushing to catch my next flight to Tel Aviv.

Since there isn't much time between finals and my departure date, I'm not going home to see the fam before leaving. I got to go home for Easter though! It was so wonderful. I got to see a lot of cousins, second cousins, and great friends. My dad, who is the best shopper in the family, took me shopping for my extra-moodest Jerusalem outfits. I have been told that if I'm not in loose fitting pants, I need to be in ankle-length skirts or dresses. My collar bone needs to be covered and short sleeves need to be longer than usual short sleeves. We got some good walking shoes, which is always important to my dad. Thanks for getting me all ready to go!

It is going to require all of the self-discipline I have to focus on the rest of finals in stead of packing or day-dreaming! Wish me luck and I'll talk to you when I arrive in Jerusalem!
Love
Emily

Final email from Nauvoo

Oh dear Family,
I can't believe it's over! We had our last shows last night and it feels totally normal. It really hasn't hit me yet. At least not mentally or emotionally. It has hit me physically, though. As soon as the shows were over yesterday, we all were surprised by how much our bodies suddenly hurt. It was like Heavenly Father protected us from the pain our bodies were experiencing until He got all He needed out of us. Now we have what's left. I'm pretty sick, but it's ok because I don't need to perform any more! My spirits are high! I feel my Savior's love and I am surrounded by wonderful people.

Sister Ludwig encouraged us to all memorize Mosiah 5:15. I have grown to love this verse. It says, "Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works; that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that ye may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of Him who created all things in heaven and in earth, who is God above all. Amen." I love that.

I don't really know what else to say! Just know that I love you. I know that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of my soul. I know that Thomas S Monson is a living prophet of God. I know that the greatest joy in life comes through obedience to God's commandments and service. I have faith in His plan. See you all soon!

All my love,
Sister Chambers

P.S. Just as soon as I pushed "send" I remembered an important message I wanted to send all of you. This week we had a Zone Conference with the Ludwigs and Sister Ludwig gave a fabulous talk on Christ-like love. Love is like Oreo's. That's right. Oreo's. You are all on a special assignment from Sister Ludwig to go and eat some Oreos and think about this message. Love is like the white, glue-like substance that holds the Oreo together. The recipe for the white stuff (or love) is this:
Only Builds
Really Listens
Envies not
Opens hear to all
Seeks to be like Christ

Love Only Builds. Think positive things about others, only say positive things. Avoid criticism, even in humor. Gossip is a nasty habit, avoid it.

Love Really Listens. Don't prepare your thoughts while someone else is speaking. Listen to their thoughts. Don't be more concerned with your phone, book, or own thoughts that you can't give a little time to someone at your side. Pay attention to real-life drama.

Love Envies Nobody. Pride comes when you are comparing yourself to others. Be truly happy for the success of others. Think of Hyrum's humility and lack of envy for Joseph's position.

Love Opens your Heart To All. Charity is difficult to describe, but is easy to identify in others.

Love Seeks to Be Like Christ. What you think of Christ will change your actions. If you think like Him, you will begin to act like Him. Eventually, you will become like Him.

The Oreo metaphor has been on my mind so much this week. It is surprising how applicable each of these attributes are. If you will think of love in terms of Oreos, you will find yourself showing more love! Try it out! Eat an Oreo!

Love you!
Sister Chambers

#13

Dear Family,
Thank you for the emails. It is so good to hear from you. Thanks Aunt Karen for the sweet note and the pictures! Can't wait to catch up with all of you!

Well, things are winding down here in Nauvoo. It's very strange. We expected empty audiences this week, since Pagent is gone, but we have had couple of shows sell out and very full shows. It's nice! Next week will be even smaller, I'm sure. We are still managing to stay very busy, finding extra performances to give, etc.

We just sang in Sacrament meeting today. The words to the song really touched my heart. I know you will like them:

For a little while, have I forsaken thee;
But with great mercies will I gather thee.
In a little wrath, I hid my face from thee
For a moment.

But with everlasting kindness will I gather thee,
And with mercy will I take thee neath my wings,
For the mountains shall depart
And the hills shall be removed
And the valleys shall be lost beneath the sea,
But Know, my child,
My Kindness shall not depart from thee!

Though thine afflictions seem
At times too great to bear,
I know thy every thought and every care.
And though the very jaws
Of hell gape after thee
I am with thee.

And with everlasting mercy will I succor thee,
And with healing will I take thee 'neath my wings.
Though the mountains shall depart
And the hills shall be removed
And the valleys shall be lost beneath the sea,
Know, my child,
My kindness shall not depart from thee!

How long can rolling waters remain impure?
What pow'r shall stay the hand of God?
The Son of Man hath descended below all things.
Art thou greater than He?

So hold on thy way,
For I shall be with thee.
And mine angels shall encircle thee.
Doubt not what thou knowest,
Fear not man, for he
Cannot hurt thee.

And with everlasting kindness will I succor thee,
And with mercy will I take thee 'neath my wings.
For the mountains shall depart
And the hills shall be removed
And the valleys shall be lost beneath the sea,
But, know, my child,
My kindness shall not depart from thee!

My kindness shall not depart from thee!

This is a very comforting song. I love it. I feel my Savior's love. If you ever doubt that the Savior loves you, pray to Him and then serve His children. Getting to work is a great cure for a hurting heart.

Mom, thanks for letting me know about the Park Place contract. I don't think I will sell it. I don't think I want to be out there as early as the 25th... maybe the 26th? I don't really know. What do you think? Wow. The idea of being in Provo for two or three days without anything scheduled sort of scares me. What am I going to do with my time? I have an hourly schedule out here. I am constantly in motion and constantly thinking of how to serve the Lord. Will I be doing worth-while things if I'm not on a mission? Ah! Weird. What will I do for three days? Unpacking can take a few hours, but then what? I would love to have you come with me. Can we talk about it when I get home? I'm not sure what to think about school just yet. I would love to go with Amanda and Aunt Michele, but I don't think I will. I just don't know...

I'm glad you are getting back into the swing of things at RVMS. What a great place. I hope you are feeling the excitement of the new year.

Dad, thank you for setting up the release with President Walker. And I will start preparing my thoughts for sacrament meeting on the 22nd. So, I have the release on the 17th, the talk on the 22nd, and the High Council report. Is that all? When do I do the report? Thank you for the thoughts on preparing to come home. I'm surprised at how worried I am. I didn't realize how little I think about home. I'm a little freaked out by the thought of planning my own day. What do people do all day? How do you find enough productive things to do to fill an entire day? Can I come to work with you? I'll worry about all of this later. Only a few more days out here. I'm going to finish strong! We have shows to do and people to speak with!

I love you all. Thank you for your support and love.
All my love
Sister Chambers

This was a wonderful week. I love these people.

#12

My Dear Family,

I am so glad you could all come and visit. It made the Nauvoo experience complete. We have all expressed our love for Nauvoo and how we all think this place is perfect, except that our families aren't here with us. Thank you for bringing your great spirit, example, and testimony with you. I love our family (all of the cousins, aunts, uncles, and McKells!) Thank you, everyone, for making the huge effort to come to Nauvoo. It truly enhanced my experience here this summer.

This week has been most overwhelming. Where do I start? I think I already told you about Elder Andersen being here. It was incredible. He is a man of God. We had the opportunity to meet with him in an informal setting before he left. All of the YPM's and YSM (Sister Missionaries) gathered in the Ludwig's home and Elder Andersen spoke to us and allowed us to ask questions for an hour. I was asked to give the opening prayer and I got to sit on the front row couch, just a few feet away from him. It was so cool. The Spirit was so strong and I received another whitness that Heavenly Father lives, that Jesus is the Christ, that He came to earth, and that they love us.
I have my final interview with President Ludwig in a couple of hours and I was trying to anticipate some of the questions he will ask me. I think he will want to talk about what I have learned here in Nauvoo or what my worries are about returning home to life before the mission. As I was thinking about how I would answer him, I felt like I should share it with you! I have gained an increased understanding of the great importance of the small and simple things. There is nothing more important that dilligent, meaningful scripture study and prayer. People lose the light of Christ when they don't keep up with daily communication with the Lord. I know Annie just got back from EFY a little while ago and is trying to keep the "spirit of EFY" with her. The good news is that you can! You can keep that light and glow with you. I have a testimony of daily study and prayer.

Also, attend church meetings and give service. I know that in the tough times out here, the only way to be happy is to get outside of yourself. I have felt the temptations of the devil to think sad thoughts, to have self-doubt, to have inward gloom. These are tactics of the devil. He will try to make us think that we are less than we are. This gets us thinking only about ourselves. The only way to fight these temptations is to make a bold statement in your mind or outloud that these thoughts are wrong and then get up and do something. Usually I have these self-focused thoughts when there is someone near by that needs my help. Seek for someone to help. Give service. Do a good deed. It can even be as simple as asking someone next to you how their day is going. Be interested in someone else, listen and love your neighbor. I am the most happy when I am concerned with the needs of someone else. My problems melt away and Heavenly Father sends inspiration specific to the individual I am trying to help.

Dad, thank you for your testimony in you email. Yes, it is strange doing shows over and over again. We can sense a difference in each audience. We like to share with eachother before going on stage who is in the audience that we might know, our leaders like to inform us of who is in the audience. Some audiences are particularly quiet, some are particularly energetic. We get a lot of our energy from the audience. We pray for the audience frequently. I know that before I go on stage almost every time, I say a silent prayer that my testimony will be apparent and that I will be able to touch someone. We try to keep back stage quiet so we can read scriptures, confrence talks, or pray during the show. Of course, sometimes we get a little chatty... But, we try to keep the Spirit near by.

As soon as you all left, everyone got sick. It's been quite a week. I'm feeling a lot better today. It's a good thing we know these shows so well, I just pray sometimes that my feet will go to the next step. I'm glad it's Sunday. It's our only day of rest. I already feel stronger and ready for the next few weeks.


Off to more meetings! Keep up the good work at home! I love you!

All my love
Sister Chambers